There is a three step process in order to obtain a temporary registration certificate from the CT Dept. of Consumer Protection, which is administering the state's medical cannabis program. Patients will not be able to legally purchase medical cannabis until the dispensaries open for business, but the temporary registration certificate will protect patients who obtain a recommendation from their physician and use medical cannabis prior to dispensaries opening. However, patients in Connecticut should realize that the law does not specify the maximum possession limit, and instead, the Dept. of Consumer Protection will specify the maximum "one-month supply" on each individually issued temporary registration certificate. This rule will almost certainly preclude home cultivation. You can find it on Section 15, page 17, of the current regulations (PDF).

Connecticut's forethought for including temporary registration protection is a sensible approach for legislatures to address public health needs that occur between the passage of a law and the careful implementation regulations that provide for safe access to medicine. While allowing patients and caregivers to cultivate medicine at home would better guarantee safe access, this approach marks an improvement to other "closed loop" models. Patients in Connecticut who currently need to use medical cannabis should speak with their physicians about obtaining a recommendation for medical cannabis therapy.